Health

Sen. Feinstein questions Democrats' healthcare plan

California Congresswoman House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she hopes the US House can pass a health care overhaul plan before lawmakers go on vacation in August. But California Senator Dianne Feinstein has some big questions.

KPCC’s Shirley Jahad has more.

The Congressional Budget Office says the democrats plan would cost a trillion over 10 years and cover only a third of those who need it.

Senator Dianne Feinstein: “We have 6.6 million people without coverage and below the poverty line. So just to cover them becomes a huge, huge problem."

According to the plan, major cuts in medicare and medicaid would help pay some of the new costs. But Feinstein says that presents a big problem in California.

Feinstein: “The state is in a state of financial catastrophe. I think that’s clear. So if you change the Medicaid rate in California, for example, it has an impact of 1 billion to 5 billion a year. Now how could I support that? Because it would take down the state."

Feinstein made the comments on CNN. The complex legislation aims to cover nearly 50 million uninsured people in the country by reducing overall increases in health care costs.